Basement preparations

By
Ed Rosenthal
on April 23, 2002

I have a potential super-discreet grow room in the basement of my new house. A heavy door leads to a crawlspace that opens to the room. The room has electricity and is big enough to grow a fair bit of reefer. Its small windows are practically hidden from the outside.
The only problem is the dirt floor. When snow melts in the spring, the floor becomes wet. The room has been dark, cold and damp for a while. It is probably infected with molds and fungus. Do you have any suggestions as to how I might go about sanitizing the room so that my future plants don’t become infected with mold or fungus?

Jokerlips,
Thunder Bay, Ontario

Place a bright light in the space and dry it out using a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier will draw moisture from the air and will dry out the walls and floor. After the space has lost its mustiness, it is time to sanitize it. Spray the space with hydrogen peroxide, which is a sterilizing agent, and potassium bicarbonate, an anti-fungal that is available under several brand names.

Dealing with the flooding floor takes some ingenuity. Try placing plastic shipping pallets on the floor to create an air space, and then cover them with a plastic tarp. Then make a flooring of 1/4-inch outdoor grade plywood.

To keep the earth dry during wet periods you could set up four-inch ventilation ducting with an inline pump. The tubing could ventilate out the window, removing moist air.

Use air-cooled lights to prevent the room from heating up too much, and fans in the windows for cooling. If the room gets too humid from the garden, use the room dehumidifier to dry it out.

Readers with grow questions (or answers) should send them to Ed at: Ask Ed, PMB 147, 530 Divisadero St., San Francisco, California 94117, USA
You can also email Ed at [email protected], and send queries via his website at www.ask-ed.net.
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